Recommended Study Sequence

This unit develops basic counselling skills and ethically oriented practice in practising and research psychologists. It reviews the theoretical underpinnings of counselling practice and provides training in fundamental counselling skills of attending and listening. Ethical practice is grounded in a study of moral philosophy, sequential decision making, and relevant Codes of Ethics of the Australian Psychological Society and NSW Registration Board. The unit considers major practice problems faced by practitioners and researchers and modes of resolutions acceptable within the profession.

This unit provides a comprehensive introduction to the psychological assessment of children, adolescents and adults. It is designed to assist students in the professional psychology programs to develop theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the assessment of clients. Through lectures, seminars and independent study, students will become familiar with the current theoretical and empirical foundations of psychological assessment, and the application of these theories and research findings to the development of empirically-based assessment practice. Students will be introduced to contemporary practice in the assessment of cognition, behaviour, mood, personality, and other psychological constructs, and popular psychological measures of these functions will be critically evaluated. Training in the administration of key instruments will be provided. Students will be instructed in the integration of assessment data into clinically-useful reports. Different approaches to psychological assessment will be compared and evaluated. Ethical and professional issues in psychological assessment will be discussed.

This unit provides a comprehensive examination of the nature and assessment of adult psychopathology. Students will review and the origins and structure of current diagnostic systems, and examine the diagnostic criteria for a range of major psychopathological syndromes. Skills in the assessment of adult disorders through interview will be acquired.

This unit acquaints students with the use of the experimental and clinical psychological literature to develop a critical empiricist perspective on the use of therapeutic interventions. The unit begins with an overview of clinical psychology practice models and a critique of the effectiveness of psychotherapy. It proceeds to introduce students to the major paradigms of psychotherapeutic intervention and presents a critical review of psychological interventions for the major psychological disorders. Students will be encouraged to critically consider the application of therapeutic interventions and in particular to develop an awareness of the broader person and ecological issues in the psychotherapeutic process.

This unit provides an introduction to the theory and practice of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). It provides basic instruction in case formulation and the development of treatment plans for specific psychological disorders and selected client populations. A widely used and evidence-based form of therapy, CBT is an important tool for psychologists working in diverse settings. The unit is designed to describe the theoretical and historical foundations of CBT, develop foundational skills in CBT assessment and therapy, and nurture critical appreciation of the effectiveness of CTB across a number of applications.

This unit introduces the nature, assessment and treatment of psychological disorders in children and adolescents. Students will examine the diagnostic classification, epidemiology and aetiology of common psychological problems, including anxiety disorders, depression, behaviour disorders, learning disabilities, and attention-deficit disorder. The theoretical and empirical foundations of a range of cognitive and behavioural techniques will be discussed, along with a number of major conceptual and practical issues in the treatment of psychological disorders in childhood and adolescence.

The unit focuses on more complex psychological disorders than Psychological Interventions 1 and presents a range of alternative intervention modes other than individual psychotherapy. The unit further enhances students' therapeutic skills by requiring critical evaluation of existing interventions for complex disorders and by continuing to procide training in specific skills for managing complex clinical problems. The unit utilises a cognitive behavioural perspective to encourage the development of a cohesive and coherent organising model for clinical practice grounded within the existing clinical psychology literature. Students are encouraged to acquire an empiricist hypothesis-testing framework to the application of clinical interventions.

This unit is a companion to the year-long research project and thesis. It aims to equip students with a detailed appreciation of research possibilities and procedures and guides the development of their research projects. Only some students enrolling for this degree program have completed an honours year and for many this is their first experience of independent research. Assuming that students' well-known fear of research methods is an artefact of their being overwhelmed by their computational inadequacies, this is a non-statistical introduction to research design, which proceeds from the elementary to the sophisticated in one session.

This unit will be replaced by 101692 - Psychological Interventions 4 from 2011. Clinical Practice Seminar A orients the intern psychologist to the fundamentals of clinical practice I the Psychology Clinic. Interns will be familiarised with a range of measurement and assessment techniques and will start to acquire and utilise knowledge and skills in the areas of professional conduct, basic relaxation training, cognitive/behavioural assessment and good counselling practice. The unit will include a module on psychopharmacology and the use of pharmacotherapy in the management of psychological disorders. The unit will include both a formal didactic component as well as direct client contact.

This unit will be replaced by 101692 - Psychological Interventions 4 from 2011. Clinical Practice Seminar A orients the intern psychologist to the fundamentals of clinical practice I the Psychology Clinic. Interns will be familiarised with a range of measurement and assessment techniques and will start to acquire and utilise knowledge and skills in the areas of professional conduct, basic relaxation training, cognitive/behavioural assessment and good counselling practice. The unit will include a module on psychopharmacology and the use of pharmacotherapy in the management of psychological disorders. The unit will include both a formal didactic component as well as direct client contact.

Placements give students the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in the areas of assessment, therapy and professional conduct. Each student is required to undertake a total of 1000 hours of supervised placement, divided into 3 or 4 placements. A Learning Contract outlining placement activities is completed (in consultation with the Placement Supervisor) and is submitted to the Placement Coordinator prior to the commencement of the placement. 100% attendance in accordance with the Learning Contract is required. This introductory placement unit is designed to allow students to begin to apply the theoretical knowledge and skills they have gained in the following units: Core Skills & Ethical Practice; Psychological Assessment 1; Clinical Psychopathology and Psychological Interventions 1.

This unit provides a comprehensive introduction to contemporary neuropsychological theories, methods and measures, including aspects of the neuropsychological assessment, diagnosis and understanding of developmental and acquired cognitive disorders likely to be encountered by clinical and forensic psychologists. The functional neuroanatomy of the brain will be discussed, with nature of the cognitive systems involved in attention, memory, language, spatial processing, and executive functions will be reviewed, with discussion of the neuropsychological assessment of each of these systems. The application of neuropsychological theories and methods in clinical and forensic psycholgoical practice will be explored, with consideration of a range of devleopmental and acquired disorders, neuropsychiatric disorders and other common conditions. Ethical and professional issues in forensic neuropsychological practice will be discussed.

This unit will be replaced by 101691 - Psychological Interventions 3 from 2010. This unit applies cognitive and behavioural interventions that maximise healthy lifestyles. It includes the psychological factors that inhibit optimal performance in a variety of fields, and provides strategies to enhance performance. The psychological benefits of exercise are discussed, and the relationship of exercise and physical health of psychological and emotional disorders. Emphasis will be placed on the use of strategies and techniques in a variety of performance related activities.

As the unit focuses on professional practice issues for psychologists, entry is restricted to students enrolled in the Professional Practice Masters programs within the School of Psychology. A clinical health psychologist combines "… clinical psychology with its focus on the assessment and treatment of individuals in distress … and the content field of health psychology" (Belar and Deardorff, 1995). The aim of clinical health psychology practitioners is to develop intervention strategies for the management of physical disorders and for the enhancement of the quality of life of patients. The practice of this branch of clinical psychology requires an understanding of the biological and psychological characteristics of patients, their symptoms, the medical interventions they encounter, and the appropriate psychological interventions.

This unit will be replaced by 101693 - Clinical Psychology Research Seminar from 2011. Professional Practice Seminar B is focussed on monitoring students' progress in their external placements by providing a forum for discussion of client and clinical practice issues arising in those placement settings. Students are required in their external placements to gain experience in a variety of clinical settings and with diverse range of client groups. This unit will comprise the presentation and discussion of clinical case experiences arising from students practicums.

The Applied Research Project requires one year of supervised study that has theoretical and/or practical relevance to the student's disciplinary specialisation. The research project will make some original contribution to the field, and be the student's own work, with due acknowledgement of any sources that are drawn upon. Students will work in small groups with an appointed supervisor. The project is to be reported in the form of a research report of approximately 10,000 words. To acknowledge the importance of the research project and report it will be numerically graded.

Placements give students the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in the areas of assessment, therapy and professional conduct. Each student is required to undertake a total of 1000 hours of supervised placement, divided into 3 or 4 placements. A Learning Contract outlining placement activities is completed (in consultation with the Placement Supervisor) and is submitted to the Placement Coordinator prior to the commencement of the placement. 100% attendance in accordance with the Learning Contract is required.This placement unit is designed to allow students to develop their client interview skills; assessment skills; intervention and therapy skills; record keeping skills; and skills in ethical, legal and professional matters.

Placements give students the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in the areas of assessment, therapy and professional conduct. Each student is required to undertake a total of 1000 hours of supervised placement, divided into 3 or 4 placements. A Learning Contract outlining placement activities is completed (in consultation with the Placement Supervisor) and is submitted to the Placement Coordinator prior to the commencement of the placement. 100% attendance in accordance with the Learning Contract is required. This placement unit is designed to allow students to expand their client interview skills; assessment skills; intervention and therapy skills; record keeping skills; and skills in ethical, legal and professional matters.

Placements give students the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in the areas of assessment, therapy and professional conduct. Each student is required to undertake a total of 1000 hours of supervised placement, divided into 3 or 4 placements. A Learning Contract outlining placement activities is completed (in consultation with the Placement Supervisor) and is submitted to the Placement Coordinator prior to the commencement of the placement. 100% attendance in accordance with the Learning Contract is required. This final placement unit is designed to allow Master of Psychology (Clinical) students to expand their client interview skills; assessment skills; intervention and therapy skills; record keeping skills; and skills in ethical, legal and professional matters.

This unit will be replaced by 101693 - Clinical Psychology Research Seminar from 2011. Professional Practice Seminar B is focussed on monitoring students' progress in their external placements by providing a forum for discussion of client and clinical practice issues arising in those placement settings. Students are required in their external placements to gain experience in a variety of clinical settings and with diverse range of client groups. This unit will comprise the presentation and discussion of clinical case experiences arising from students practicums.

The Applied Research Project requires one year of supervised study that has theoretical and/or practical relevance to the student's disciplinary specialisation. The research project will make some original contribution to the field, and be the student's own work, with due acknowledgement of any sources that are drawn upon. Students will work in small groups with an appointed supervisor. The project is to be reported in the form of a research report of approximately 10,000 words. To acknowledge the importance of the research project and report it will be numerically graded.

Placements give students the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in the areas of assessment, therapy and professional conduct. Each student is required to undertake a total of 1000 hours of supervised placement, divided into 3 or 4 placements. A Learning Contract outlining placement activities is completed (in consultation with the Placement Supervisor) and is submitted to the Placement Coordinator prior to the commencement of the placement. 100% attendance in accordance with the Learning Contract is required.This placement unit is designed to allow students to develop their client interview skills; assessment skills; intervention and therapy skills; record keeping skills; and skills in ethical, legal and professional matters.

Placements give students the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in the areas of assessment, therapy and professional conduct. Each student is required to undertake a total of 1000 hours of supervised placement, divided into 3 or 4 placements. A Learning Contract outlining placement activities is completed (in consultation with the Placement Supervisor) and is submitted to the Placement Coordinator prior to the commencement of the placement. 100% attendance in accordance with the Learning Contract is required. This placement unit is designed to allow students to expand their client interview skills; assessment skills; intervention and therapy skills; record keeping skills; and skills in ethical, legal and professional matters.

Placements give students the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in the areas of assessment, therapy and professional conduct. Each student is required to undertake a total of 1000 hours of supervised placement, divided into 3 or 4 placements. A Learning Contract outlining placement activities is completed (in consultation with the Placement Supervisor) and is submitted to the Placement Coordinator prior to the commencement of the placement. 100% attendance in accordance with the Learning Contract is required. This final placement unit is designed to allow Master of Psychology (Clinical) students to expand their client interview skills; assessment skills; intervention and therapy skills; record keeping skills; and skills in ethical, legal and professional matters.